Hello it's Alphabet Soup day again, mmm, what to pick and then after settling on the artists which album, with Mono it was easy they just made the one. With Masters of Reality it was a bit more difficult, i have all but one and even when their first really hit home and brought them into the limelight, for me the second album Sunrise On The Sufferbus proved more of a winner, it's less agitated, more loose and assertive, the 42 min pass very quickly.. With MC 900 Ft Jesus its different, he made just 3 albums, i got all three and they are all rather different in nature, i choose the middle one as it combines the elements of his first and last and is a gem musically and textually, although MC 900ft maybe overdoing it here and there, but then his first " Hell with the lid off " is lyrically pleasently disturbed. Anyway after the success of the If i only had a brain single, someone/thing got to him (Oral Roberts devotees ?) because nothing has been heard of him since.
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Masters Of Reality - Sunrise On The Sufferbus ( 92 ^ 289mb)
Led by singer/guitarist Chris Goss, Masters of Reality were something of an anomaly on the late-'80s/early-'90s rock scene, playing a strongly Cream- and Zeppelin-influenced brand of hard rock with modern touches. Their original members included bassist Googe, guitarist Tim Harrington, and drummer Vinnie Ludovico. Goss broke up the band shortly after their well-received, self-titled debut album in 1989; he reformed the group as a trio a few years later with Googe and legendary ex-Cream drummer Ginger Baker.
On the one hand it must have seemed like a perversely appropriate gesture on the part of Chris Goss. Having received a variety of comparisons to Cream after Masters of Reality's first album came out, thanks in large part to Goss' vocal resemblance to Jack Bruce, none other than legendary British drummer and Cream veteran Ginger Baker took over the sticks on the group's sophomore effort. Far from being mere wish-fulfillment, though, Baker's abilities help supercharge the mighty and underrated Sunrise on the Sufferbus to a higher level. Baker's lost none of his power -- indeed, arguably he hasn't sounded this good in years, showing flash and flair while never replicating, say, the drum-solo mistakes of "Toad" -- while both Goss and Googe have their instruments like men possessed. Goss' singing still has hints of Bruce, as well as Neil Young, but doesn't just replicate -- while the band's production as a whole brings out the immediacy of the songs. The emphasis on calmer efforts like the dreamy string-and-keyboard drenched "100 Years" and the enjoyable, steady lope of "Rolling Green" provide a fine contrast to the amped-up kickers.
However, Masters of Reality never quite fit into prevailing hard rock trends, and they remained a well-kept secret to most of the listening public. In hindsight, their retro obsessions and warm, spacious guitar sound set a clear precedent for the '90s stoner rock movement; while the Masters' less metallic sound wouldn't have been a perfect stylistic fit, the link was reinforced by Goss' acclaimed production work on three of the four Kyuss albums. Those records helped pave the way for a new career in production for Goss, and Masters of Reality went on hiatus for several years. Goss reunited with Googe in 1997, adding guitarist Brendan McNichol and drummer Victor Indrizzo for a series of live dates that resulted in the album How High the Moon: Live at the Viper Room. An all-new studio album titled Welcome to the Western Lodge was released in Europe in 1999, followed by Deep in the hole (2001) , a European tour live album Flak 'n Flight (2002) and a collection of more folksy left overs " Give us Barabass" (04)
01 - She Got Me (When She Got Her Dress On) (2:47)
02 - J.B. Witchdance (3:37)
03 - Jody Sings (3:03)
04 - Rolling Green (3:42)
05 - Ants In The Kitchen (3:22)
06 - V.H.V. (4:22)
07 - Bicycle (0:48)
08 - 100 Years (Of Tears In The Wind) (4:06)
09 - T.U.S.A. (3:00)
10 - Tilt-A-Whirl (3:43)
11 - Rabbit One (3:33)
12 - Madonna (0:38)
13 - Gimme Water (2:23)
14 - The Moon In Your Pocket (3:29
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
MC 900 Ft Jesus - Welcome To My Dream (91 ^ 268mb)
Taking the name MC 900 Ft. Jesus from an Oral Roberts'* sermon, the Dallas native Mark Griffin began recording in the late ' 80s. MC 900 Ft. Jesus' first records were bracing fusions of hip-hop, industrial, and spoken word, with hints of jazz. He became a favorite on college radio with his 1990 debut, Hell With the Lid Off, and 1991's Welcome to My Dream. Griffin seems to be able to get inside the American psyche and write these wonderful, incredibly well-observed lyrics; and then marries them to old-skool beats and layers of synth. At first listen you might believe that you're listening to hip-pop; but then you rapidly realise that everything he does is a little bit tongue-in-cheek.
Welcome To My Dream, the follow-up to Hell With the Lid Off is darker, less cartoonish, and far more influenced by funk and jazz than before (if it weren't for the slightly whiny vocals over top of the opening cut, you might mistake the backing track for something from Miles Davis' fusion period). In a lot of ways, Welcome to My Dream was a precursor to trip-hop, layering hip-hop beats over jazzy breaks and dream-like instrumentation. Tracks like "Killer Inside Me" and "Adventures in Failure" as backing tracks are killer and the delivery of the rhymes are top-notch, alas textually a bit silly, in the sense that jokes ware off after repeated listening. That's a shame because there are some great tracks here, like the arsonists confessional "The City Sleeps'" and the paranoiac nightdrive "Falling Elevators." As before on Hell With the Lid Off , DJ Zero scratches with aplomb.
After laying low for a couple years, MC 900 Ft. Jesus returned with his most popular record to date in 1994, One Step Ahead of the Spider. Featuring the hit single "If I Only Had a Brain," the record was calmer than his earlier work, incorporating more elements of jazz and funk; it was a hit on both alternative radio and MTV, nevertheless he never established much more than a cult following, and has completely disappeared from the radar since.
*Oral Roberts became a traveling faith healer after dropping out of college, he made a name for himself with a mobile big tent that sat 3,000 on metal folding chairs, and where he shouted at petitioners who did not respond to his healing. In 1977 Roberts claimed to have a vision from a 900-foot-tall Jesus who told him to build City of Faith Medical and Research Center and the hospital would be a success. He founded Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1963, stating he was obeying a command from God. The university was chartered in 1963 and received its first students in 1965. Students were required to sign an honor code pledging not to drink, smoke, dance, party, or engage in premarital sex. Oral Roberts is retired now after a very succesful career as a televangelist. Btw the Rio Christ The Redeemer statue which made it into the seven wonders of the world list is just 130 ft, merely a seventh what the faith healer saw, well visions can be deceptive in the ' out there' .
1 - Falling Elevators (6:46)
2 - Killer Inside Me (4:08)
3 - Adventures In Failure (5:45)
4 - The City Sleeps (5:32)
5 - O-Zone (4:33)
6 - Hearing Voices In One's Head (5:54)
7 - Dali's Handgun (4:40)
8 - Dancing Barefoot (4:31)
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Mono - Formica Blues (97 ^ 322mb)
Influenced by cool jazz,' 60s pop and classic film-soundtracks, the trip-hop duo Mono formed around vocalist Siobhan De Maré and producer Martin Virgo, in mid-1996. Caught like many other mid-'90s male instrumentalist/female singer duos, Mono deftly stays clear of the trip-hop conundrum for the most part with Formica Blues. Certainly there was a certain shared sense of cinematic drama and haunting gloom that informs plenty of songs -- consider the Get Carter-sampling "Silicone," while "The Outsider" has an emotional directness Beth Gibbons would be proud of. The fact that lead single "Life in Mono" samples John Barry and works with breakbeats didn't necessarily help Mono stand out more, but then they work with a variety of English, American, and continental musical inspirations, and as such are able to find a balance between a particular style and a wide number of variations. The use of David Sylvian's "Approaching Silence" to signal the start of "Penguin Freud" works very well, however the highlight is probably "Playboys," with both a full-bodied beat and a halfway-to-industrial instrumental break to recommend it, while the combination of de Maré's voice and subtle orchestration really hits the spot.
In 1998, the use of "Life in Mono" in the soundtrack, trailers, and end credits of the film adaptation of Great Expectations (after Robert De Niro, who was working on the film, heard the song)[4] brought greater exposure for the song than ever before, they sogned a U.S. deal with Mercury Records, and went on their only concert tour, by 2000 they'd broken up. Siobhan De Maré now sings for Violet Indiana featuring Robin Guthrie of the group Cocteau Twins; Violet Indiana has released a number of singles, two albums and a singles collection. More recently, de Maré also founded Pearl Dust, a music management company.Virgo joined International Love Corporation, an unsigned rock band promoted through MySpace and CD Baby, as keyboardist.
01 - Life In Mono (4:45)
02 - Silicone (4:49)
03 - Slimcea Girl (3:50)
04 - The Outsider (5:09)
05 - Disney Town (4:08)
06 - The Blind Man (6:38)
07 - High Life (4:15)
08 - Playboys (6:40)
09 - Penguin Freud (6:19)
10 - Hello Cleveland! (6:34)
*****
Mono - Formica Blues Bonus (398mb)
11 Slimcea Girl (Aloof Remix) 7:44
12 Silicone (Les Rythmes Digitales Remix) 5:07
13 Slimcea Girl (Fat Boy Vocal) 5:30
14 High Life (Next Century Short Dub) 7:17
15 Silicone (Mr. Scruff Remix) 4:51
16 Life In Mono (Propellerheads-Sweat Band Mix) 6:35
17 Slimcea Girl (Sol Brothers London Dub Remix) 7:59
18 High Life (187 Lockdown Low Life Dub) 6:10
19 Life In Mono (Banana Republic Urban Dub) 6:22
20 High Life (Natural Born Chillers Vocal Mix) 6:07
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Masters Of Reality - Sunrise On The Sufferbus ( 92 ^ 289mb)
Led by singer/guitarist Chris Goss, Masters of Reality were something of an anomaly on the late-'80s/early-'90s rock scene, playing a strongly Cream- and Zeppelin-influenced brand of hard rock with modern touches. Their original members included bassist Googe, guitarist Tim Harrington, and drummer Vinnie Ludovico. Goss broke up the band shortly after their well-received, self-titled debut album in 1989; he reformed the group as a trio a few years later with Googe and legendary ex-Cream drummer Ginger Baker.
On the one hand it must have seemed like a perversely appropriate gesture on the part of Chris Goss. Having received a variety of comparisons to Cream after Masters of Reality's first album came out, thanks in large part to Goss' vocal resemblance to Jack Bruce, none other than legendary British drummer and Cream veteran Ginger Baker took over the sticks on the group's sophomore effort. Far from being mere wish-fulfillment, though, Baker's abilities help supercharge the mighty and underrated Sunrise on the Sufferbus to a higher level. Baker's lost none of his power -- indeed, arguably he hasn't sounded this good in years, showing flash and flair while never replicating, say, the drum-solo mistakes of "Toad" -- while both Goss and Googe have their instruments like men possessed. Goss' singing still has hints of Bruce, as well as Neil Young, but doesn't just replicate -- while the band's production as a whole brings out the immediacy of the songs. The emphasis on calmer efforts like the dreamy string-and-keyboard drenched "100 Years" and the enjoyable, steady lope of "Rolling Green" provide a fine contrast to the amped-up kickers.
However, Masters of Reality never quite fit into prevailing hard rock trends, and they remained a well-kept secret to most of the listening public. In hindsight, their retro obsessions and warm, spacious guitar sound set a clear precedent for the '90s stoner rock movement; while the Masters' less metallic sound wouldn't have been a perfect stylistic fit, the link was reinforced by Goss' acclaimed production work on three of the four Kyuss albums. Those records helped pave the way for a new career in production for Goss, and Masters of Reality went on hiatus for several years. Goss reunited with Googe in 1997, adding guitarist Brendan McNichol and drummer Victor Indrizzo for a series of live dates that resulted in the album How High the Moon: Live at the Viper Room. An all-new studio album titled Welcome to the Western Lodge was released in Europe in 1999, followed by Deep in the hole (2001) , a European tour live album Flak 'n Flight (2002) and a collection of more folksy left overs " Give us Barabass" (04)
01 - She Got Me (When She Got Her Dress On) (2:47)
02 - J.B. Witchdance (3:37)
03 - Jody Sings (3:03)
04 - Rolling Green (3:42)
05 - Ants In The Kitchen (3:22)
06 - V.H.V. (4:22)
07 - Bicycle (0:48)
08 - 100 Years (Of Tears In The Wind) (4:06)
09 - T.U.S.A. (3:00)
10 - Tilt-A-Whirl (3:43)
11 - Rabbit One (3:33)
12 - Madonna (0:38)
13 - Gimme Water (2:23)
14 - The Moon In Your Pocket (3:29
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
MC 900 Ft Jesus - Welcome To My Dream (91 ^ 268mb)
Taking the name MC 900 Ft. Jesus from an Oral Roberts'* sermon, the Dallas native Mark Griffin began recording in the late ' 80s. MC 900 Ft. Jesus' first records were bracing fusions of hip-hop, industrial, and spoken word, with hints of jazz. He became a favorite on college radio with his 1990 debut, Hell With the Lid Off, and 1991's Welcome to My Dream. Griffin seems to be able to get inside the American psyche and write these wonderful, incredibly well-observed lyrics; and then marries them to old-skool beats and layers of synth. At first listen you might believe that you're listening to hip-pop; but then you rapidly realise that everything he does is a little bit tongue-in-cheek.
Welcome To My Dream, the follow-up to Hell With the Lid Off is darker, less cartoonish, and far more influenced by funk and jazz than before (if it weren't for the slightly whiny vocals over top of the opening cut, you might mistake the backing track for something from Miles Davis' fusion period). In a lot of ways, Welcome to My Dream was a precursor to trip-hop, layering hip-hop beats over jazzy breaks and dream-like instrumentation. Tracks like "Killer Inside Me" and "Adventures in Failure" as backing tracks are killer and the delivery of the rhymes are top-notch, alas textually a bit silly, in the sense that jokes ware off after repeated listening. That's a shame because there are some great tracks here, like the arsonists confessional "The City Sleeps'" and the paranoiac nightdrive "Falling Elevators." As before on Hell With the Lid Off , DJ Zero scratches with aplomb.
After laying low for a couple years, MC 900 Ft. Jesus returned with his most popular record to date in 1994, One Step Ahead of the Spider. Featuring the hit single "If I Only Had a Brain," the record was calmer than his earlier work, incorporating more elements of jazz and funk; it was a hit on both alternative radio and MTV, nevertheless he never established much more than a cult following, and has completely disappeared from the radar since.
*Oral Roberts became a traveling faith healer after dropping out of college, he made a name for himself with a mobile big tent that sat 3,000 on metal folding chairs, and where he shouted at petitioners who did not respond to his healing. In 1977 Roberts claimed to have a vision from a 900-foot-tall Jesus who told him to build City of Faith Medical and Research Center and the hospital would be a success. He founded Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1963, stating he was obeying a command from God. The university was chartered in 1963 and received its first students in 1965. Students were required to sign an honor code pledging not to drink, smoke, dance, party, or engage in premarital sex. Oral Roberts is retired now after a very succesful career as a televangelist. Btw the Rio Christ The Redeemer statue which made it into the seven wonders of the world list is just 130 ft, merely a seventh what the faith healer saw, well visions can be deceptive in the ' out there' .
1 - Falling Elevators (6:46)
2 - Killer Inside Me (4:08)
3 - Adventures In Failure (5:45)
4 - The City Sleeps (5:32)
5 - O-Zone (4:33)
6 - Hearing Voices In One's Head (5:54)
7 - Dali's Handgun (4:40)
8 - Dancing Barefoot (4:31)
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Mono - Formica Blues (97 ^ 322mb)
Influenced by cool jazz,' 60s pop and classic film-soundtracks, the trip-hop duo Mono formed around vocalist Siobhan De Maré and producer Martin Virgo, in mid-1996. Caught like many other mid-'90s male instrumentalist/female singer duos, Mono deftly stays clear of the trip-hop conundrum for the most part with Formica Blues. Certainly there was a certain shared sense of cinematic drama and haunting gloom that informs plenty of songs -- consider the Get Carter-sampling "Silicone," while "The Outsider" has an emotional directness Beth Gibbons would be proud of. The fact that lead single "Life in Mono" samples John Barry and works with breakbeats didn't necessarily help Mono stand out more, but then they work with a variety of English, American, and continental musical inspirations, and as such are able to find a balance between a particular style and a wide number of variations. The use of David Sylvian's "Approaching Silence" to signal the start of "Penguin Freud" works very well, however the highlight is probably "Playboys," with both a full-bodied beat and a halfway-to-industrial instrumental break to recommend it, while the combination of de Maré's voice and subtle orchestration really hits the spot.
In 1998, the use of "Life in Mono" in the soundtrack, trailers, and end credits of the film adaptation of Great Expectations (after Robert De Niro, who was working on the film, heard the song)[4] brought greater exposure for the song than ever before, they sogned a U.S. deal with Mercury Records, and went on their only concert tour, by 2000 they'd broken up. Siobhan De Maré now sings for Violet Indiana featuring Robin Guthrie of the group Cocteau Twins; Violet Indiana has released a number of singles, two albums and a singles collection. More recently, de Maré also founded Pearl Dust, a music management company.Virgo joined International Love Corporation, an unsigned rock band promoted through MySpace and CD Baby, as keyboardist.
01 - Life In Mono (4:45)
02 - Silicone (4:49)
03 - Slimcea Girl (3:50)
04 - The Outsider (5:09)
05 - Disney Town (4:08)
06 - The Blind Man (6:38)
07 - High Life (4:15)
08 - Playboys (6:40)
09 - Penguin Freud (6:19)
10 - Hello Cleveland! (6:34)
*****
Mono - Formica Blues Bonus (398mb)
11 Slimcea Girl (Aloof Remix) 7:44
12 Silicone (Les Rythmes Digitales Remix) 5:07
13 Slimcea Girl (Fat Boy Vocal) 5:30
14 High Life (Next Century Short Dub) 7:17
15 Silicone (Mr. Scruff Remix) 4:51
16 Life In Mono (Propellerheads-Sweat Band Mix) 6:35
17 Slimcea Girl (Sol Brothers London Dub Remix) 7:59
18 High Life (187 Lockdown Low Life Dub) 6:10
19 Life In Mono (Banana Republic Urban Dub) 6:22
20 High Life (Natural Born Chillers Vocal Mix) 6:07
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
I still prefer the other two albums of MC 900 Ft. Jesus. "One step ahead of The Spider" was one of the great moments in 1994, I saw him in concert that year and it was very jazzy.
ReplyDeleteStill wonder why he didn't go on with that jazz thing...
Agreed! Ahead of the Spider was their best album. Although the others were pretty good as well.
ReplyDeleteI think 900`s cover of Stare & Stare is better than Curtis original
A re-up of the Masters Of Reality would be brilliant. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteA re-up of Mono would be awesome! Thank You!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the Masters of Reality!
ReplyDeleteMust ask: do you have the 1990's version of Jody Frosty, please? Mine died :(
Toots